“You will love this book.” Kip handed the book across the table, over the steaming cups of coffee. “If you don’t,” he wagged his long skinny finger toward me. “Dinner is on me.” This was a prideful boast.
“Okay, sure. Why not?” I turned the book over in my hand as his lips moved. He was talking. Maybe about the book? Maybe about the snow? Sunshine Valley; how long is too long to wait? On the back cover was a picture of a lady and her dog. Cute dog, I thought. Why couldn’t Kip read something other than romance?
Looking up, his lips were still moving. I caught the words; court, daughter, travel and dinner. It was so hard to focus on this or any conversation. People were noisy, talking all around us. A t.v. was playing in the corner. The picture on the screen was the aftermath of a bomb being dropped somewhere. He jerked my attention back to him as he stood up to leave. “You’d better enjoy this. Who knows how much longer we’ll get to do it? Enjoy the book, call you later.”
Finally, I’m home. The shots my little doggy got at the vet made him sick. He was more than ready to settle down, while I tried to focus on this book. Kip’s “you’ll love it,” continued to bounce around in my brain. “You’ll love it.” Sure, I would have better odds having the winning lottery ticket than I will loving this book.
Cute dog, I smiled, petting my sad baby dog. When I got too close to the injection site, he just gave me an injured look, “sorry buddy.”
During a playful moment, Dillon, the hero in the book, surprises Evie, the heroine, with a very public kiss. I shouted, causing my little doggy to look up at me, “don’t do it you fool.” But he did it.
I encouraged Dillon to be stronger than an ex-superhero when he’s recounting that Evie didn’t want him back in the day. Those days when she was all he could think about. When his heart was on fire for no one but her. “Be strong, man.”
I sent the book sailing across the room with a grunt; disrupting my little doggy again, when Dillon slipped the ring on Evie’s finger. My baby dog got up when I got up. “It’s okay, I’m coming right back. Kip is going to be upset with me for damaging his book.” I rubbed the place on the book I made in my fit of anger.
I threw up in my mouth a little at their impromptu wedding. Gag me with a spoon.
I cheered with every dig that Rebecca was able to give. The door of love won’t open for me. Why should this fictional character get it?
My phone rang, “are you ready for the widow and oldies club?” Kip laughed.
“You’re gonna be sore at me, I damaged your book when I threw it across the room.”
Kip laughed. “I told you you’d love it.”
Sunshine Valley Part 1
Poetry & More 